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9/21/04---Tuesday's class---Us, Larry, and Henry. We were very happy when Henry showed up as he taught the class. We did a lot of tenkan practice in our techniques. All 3 of us needed that practice.

9/23/04---Thursday's class---Us, Jim, Mark, Larry, and Henry. Peter's out of town right now but it felt like a more normal class because more people were there. Poor Mark's got pnemonia (!) so he said he was going to take it easy teaching but he was still in a really good mood. It was a really fun class but Mark had us do some weird stuff! At the very beginning, he had us all lie down on our backs and do 6 inch drills! I only knew what they were because of seeing my Tang Soo Do friend do them. I don't know why but it was killing my back! Next we did another exersise of just holding ourselves up on our hands and toes. I was supposed to feel that in my abs but all I felt was my back killing me! I was very relieved when we stopped doing that. I thought I'd be really sore today but I'm not. If I'm motivated, I should start trying to practice doing those exercises at home so I can strengthen those muscels.

For techniques we did Irimis and Shiho Nages from Katatori Menuchi. It was funny because near the end of class, Sensei Mark got on my mom, me, and Jim for doing Shiho Nage in a weird/unnessasary painful looking way. The way we were doing it is the way that Mr. Larry (the senior sensei) has been showing us every Saturday for over a month now but Mark hasn't been there. Jim had to explain it to Mark and do it on him so he could see that it's not as painful as it looks and that it actually keeps the balance better. Funny!

At the end of class, I got to be partnered with Mark for Kokyu-dosa (sitting kokyus). I surprised him because I actually had good extension and balance most of the time and I was actually able to get him down! That's what happens when he goes out of town and gets sick, I suppose. Half of his students finally get what he's been trying to tell us all these years! Anyway, he complemented me on having good extension after class. That made me feel good. He also noticed that I was driving home tonight and had to get out of his truck, come running over, and tease me about letting him pull out of the parking lot first so I wouldn't hit him. That didn't bother me at all and again, I was quite pleased that he even noticed I was going to drive home. We're friends but since he's a man after all, he doesn't notice half the things one of my female friends might.